The Olympic Games
Do you know when and where the next Olympic
Games will be held? D you know how the Olympic Games began?
ANCIENT
The beginning
Three thousand years ago people came from all over Greece to attend a special festival at Olympia. There were
celebrations and races. As time passed, the races grew bigger and more events
were included, such as wrestling, discus and javelin throwing, and chariot
racing. These events were only for men.
A time of peace
The games were held every four years, like
they are today. During the games any Greek cities who were at war with each
other agreed to stop fighting. As soon as the games finished, they began
fighting again!
Parades
At the beginning of the
games, athletes took part in a parade on the way to the sports stadium.
Thousands of people lined the streets to cheer them. A trumpet was used to
start each event.
Winner takes all
Only the winner of each
event won a prize. Athletes in second and third place got nothing. The winner
was awarded a wreath made of laurel leaves to wear round his head.
MODERN
The modern Olympics
The modern Olympics are held every four years and are open to
every country of the world. Baron Pierre de Coubertin first had the idea for
the modern Olympic Games. He held a planning meeting in Paris
in 1894 and two years later, in 1896, the first modern Olympic Games were held
in Athens. This
city was chosen because Greece
was the original home of the Olympics. Only twelve countries attended, and took
part in the different sports. Many of the competitors just happened to be in Greece
at the time and did not go specially for the games!
The marathon
The
history of the marathon race is very interesting. Many years ago the Greeks of
Athens won a great battle at a place called Marathon;
which was about 42
kilometres away from the city. A messenger was ordered
to take the news of the victory to the city. Although he was already exhausted
from the battle, the messenger ran the whole way. As he arrived in the city, he
cried out the good news -and then fell down dead! Today marathon runners must
still run 42
kilometres from start to finish .
The flag
T-he Olympic Flag shows five rings linked together. The rings
stand for the five continents -Europe, Asia, Africa, America
and Australasia. Each ring is a different
colour. They are linked together to show that people from all five continents
are joined together in peaceful and friendly competition.
The flame
At every opening ceremony, an athlete runs into the stadium carrying
the Olympic Flame. The flame is lit at Olympia
in Greece
and is then carried to wherever the Games are being held. Special torches are
used to keep the flame alight. The torch is used to light a big Olympic Flame
which is then kept alight all through the Games. It is a great honour to be
chosen to carry the Olympic Flame into the stadium and to light the Olympic
Flame there.
THE PARALYMPIC GAMES
What are they?
The Paralympic Games are like the Olympic Games except that they
are for
people with disabilities. They, too, take place every four years.
The Paralympic Games started as a small event and got bigger and bigger.
When did they begin?
The first Games were held in 1948 when patients from a hospital in
England,
competed with other patients from other hospitals. Most of the competitors were
in wheelchairs.
The Games get bigger
In 1976 the Games were enlarged to include blind people and people
without arms and legs, but it wasn't until 1988 that the Games became really
international. For the first time the Games were televised and seen all over
the world.
The Games today
Today, over 3,500 atheletes from 100 countries take part in the
Paralympic Games. Events include archery, basketball, athletics, swlmming and
'goalball' -a version of football played by blind people.
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